Former Super Eagles defender and 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winner, Ben Iroha, has cautioned the Nigeria national team not to underestimate their opponents in the upcoming 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
Iroha, who also worked with the late Yemi Tella in leading Nigeria to triumph at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Korea, made the comments while reacting to the qualifying draw held on Tuesday in Cairo, Egypt.
Nigeria, three-time African champions, were placed in Group L alongside Madagascar national football team, Guinea-Bissau national football team and Tanzania national football team for the tournament, which will be co-hosted by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
Super Eagles Group Not As Easy As It Looks
Speaking from Texas in the United States, Iroha stressed that African football no longer offers easy fixtures and urged the team to treat every match with full seriousness.
“There are no easy games these days, so every match should be approached with all seriousness,” Iroha told Completesports.com.
“This means no team should be taken for granted. It looks as though Group L, which has Tanzania, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, is a relatively easy group, but I don’t think so.”
iroha urges maximum focus from nigeria players
The former defender further stressed that all participating nations will be fully determined to secure qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
“All the teams want to qualify for the AFCON. They will present their very best players in every single game. Above all, it will still be 11 players against 11 players.
“So, the Super Eagles should remain focused and give their best in every game, regardless of the opponent,” Iroha said.